"DIA moves closer to adding gates"

Thursday, November 30, 2006

DIA moves closer to adding gates
Decision to expand C concourse almost 'done deal,' exec says
By Chris Walsh
The Denver (CO) Rocky Mountain News 


Denver International Airport is pressing forward with plans to build up to
eight more gates on the C concourse, and it's considering expanding the A
concourse as well.
 
The moves are part of DIA's efforts to update its master plan for future
growth, a process that involves looking at parking, gates, concessions and
security. 

Airport officials still are reviewing the costs of expanding the east end of
the C concourse by a couple of hundred yards, DIA Manager Turner West said
Wednesday. 

But the potential for the project "is looking very positive and
encouraging," West said after a speech to local government, business and
civic leaders at a luncheon sponsored by the DIA Partnership, which works to
foster growth around the airport. "It's not quite a done deal, but almost." 

The three-year, roughly $160 million project would benefit numerous carriers
including Southwest Airlines, which operates on the C concourse and has
indicated it plans to grow rapidly. 

West also said the airport has had "very exploratory" discussions with
Frontier Airlines on the potential of expanding the A concourse, which could
cost an estimated $60 million to $70 million. 

Discussions have centered on the possibility of building a commuter facility
for Frontier's growing regional operations. 

"We sat down with them one time," West said. "It's very preliminary at this
point." 

While Frontier has some room to grow on the A concourse in the near term, it
could find itself in a space crunch down the road. 

The carrier is adding new regional jets and 10 turboprop planes that will be
used for service to smaller markets within a 650-mile radius of Denver. It's
also bolstering its main fleet of Airbus aircraft. 

"We have a lot of planes coming in, but there's nothing pending or imminent"
as far as an expansion of the A concourse goes, said Frontier spokesman Joe
Hodas. "We're just trying to think a couple steps ahead." 

DIA could fund the expansion projects through a mix of cash on hand and
proceeds from debt offerings, West said. 

The airport's initial master plan was created more than a decade ago to
handle 50 million passengers annually. DIA, though, is rapidly approaching
that number amid record passenger traffic. 

As part of its moves to expand and upgrade, the airport is looking to
bolster the variety and quality of its restaurants, bars and shops. 

It's also adding more cars to its passenger trains and updating the software
that runs them, which will increase train capacity by 40 percent. 

"We're really trying to take this (master plan) from the first phase to the
second and third," West said.

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